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1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large lipped baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2
Put the flour into a bowl with the baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar.
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3
Chop the butter and the vegetable shortening into pieces and drop them into the flour.
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4
Rub the fats into the flour - or just mix any old how - and then pour in the buttermilk, working everything together to form a dough.
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5
Lightly flour your work surface.
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6
Pat the dough into a round-edged oblong about 1 3/4 inches thick and cut out 2-inch scones with a biscuit cutter.
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7
(Mine are never a uniform height, as I only pat the dough into its shape without worrying whether it's irregular or not.)
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8
Arrange the scones fairly close together on your lined baking sheet, and brush with beaten egg (to give golden tops) or not as you wish.
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9
Bake for 12 minutes, by which time the scones will be dry on the bottom and have a relatively light feel.
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10
Remove them to a wire rack to cool, and serve with clotted cream and your favourite jam.
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11
Make Ahead Note: Scones are best on the day they are made but day-old scones can be revived by warming in oven preheated to 300 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes.
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12
Freeze Note: Baked scones can be frozen in airtight containers or resealable bags for up to one month.
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13
Thaw for 1 hour at room temperature and warm as above.
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14
Unbaked scones can be put on parchment-lined trays and frozen until solid.
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15
Transfer to resealable bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
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16
Bake direct from frozen, as directed in recipe, but allowing extra 2 to 3 minutes baking time.
